Could be, Mom and Dad were both from Wyoming and call it goulash...so it's not just a Southern thing, either.
American Chop Suey?
- Thread starter Zhizara
- Start date
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Kayelle
Chef Extraordinaire
I wish some other left coast folks would show up here.
I was raised out here and I'd love to know if I'm the only one who never had American Chop Suey, Johnny Marzetti, or "not Hungarian goulash".
Regional food differences are fascinating in this vast country.
Interesting thread Z !
I was raised out here and I'd love to know if I'm the only one who never had American Chop Suey, Johnny Marzetti, or "not Hungarian goulash".
Regional food differences are fascinating in this vast country.
Interesting thread Z !
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Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
I decided to do a quick Wiki search and found the following. There are specific differences among the three even though they are all variable.
American chop suey - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Johnny Marzetti - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
American goulash - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I would say Johnny Marzetti and goulash are more similar as they are both baked casseroles while ACS is a stovetop dish.
American chop suey - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Johnny Marzetti - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
American goulash - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I would say Johnny Marzetti and goulash are more similar as they are both baked casseroles while ACS is a stovetop dish.
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I was raised in California and never heard of those either until I heard about them here on DC.
From the wiki article: "American chop suey is most prevalent in New England."
My ex was from New Hampshire, I wonder if he called it American Chop Suey... If so, he never said anything and ate plenty of goulash.
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
I noticed the New England reference. We stand alone.
I will fix any of the three for you, they all sound good to me.
Cooking Goddess
Chef Extraordinaire
I'll don a hairnet Andy! I make it as a hotdish, but in our house I just call it macaroni and ground meat...even though my "macaroni" is never the elbow kind. And from the hunting around I found online it seems like New England and a few other states in the northeast call it ACS, the midwest tends to call it Johnny Marzetti, and the rest of the country calls it goulash or chili mac.
Himself went to Ohio State University, just down the street from the Marzettis' restaurant. He said the college cafeteria did a mighty poor version of the stuff. That's probably why I call it just mac and ground beef around here. Don't want to stir up any bad memories from college.
OP
OP
So this is all your fault?!
Steve Kroll
Wine Guy
I never heard of American Chop Suey or Johnny Marzetti until DC. It was always just plain "Goulash" in our house growing up. I didn't even realize the name was Hungarian in origin until sometime later in life when I ordered the real deal in a restaurant, and out came a dish that was nothing like I was expecting. But it was delicious. 
I'm a convert to real goulash. I still love (and occasionally) make my childhood goulash, but we call it "chili mac" now, since that seems to be the Minnesota variation. Oddly, chili mac seems to have nothing to do with chili here.
Whatever you call it, it's pretty tasty stuff.
I'm a convert to real goulash. I still love (and occasionally) make my childhood goulash, but we call it "chili mac" now, since that seems to be the Minnesota variation. Oddly, chili mac seems to have nothing to do with chili here.
Whatever you call it, it's pretty tasty stuff.
jennyema
Chef Extraordinaire
Yeah. I had never seen it before I moved here.
I was pretty shocked when I saw beefaroni presented as chop suey at a diner in Boston.
I still make it, mostly for my brother in law. I don't call it anything.
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
Steve, does chili mac have chili powder in it?
Silversage
Head Chef
I never heard of any version of it until I was about 40 years old. A freind made it and called it goulash. To me, it just looked like Hamburger Helper. I didn't think it tasted much different than HH either. I only heard of ACS here, and have never heard of Johnny Marzetti until today.
Goulash was always a paprika-laced dish similar to a beef stew. Chop Suey came from the Chinese carry-out.
Goulash was always a paprika-laced dish similar to a beef stew. Chop Suey came from the Chinese carry-out.
I've never eaten hamburger helper, so I couldn't say it tasted like that or not. Obviously a lot depends on the seasonings you would use I imagine.
I refer to the real deal as gulyas. If I'm going to make real Hungarian gulyas I might as well spell it their way.
I refer to the real deal as gulyas. If I'm going to make real Hungarian gulyas I might as well spell it their way.
bakechef
Executive Chef
ACS does seem to be a New England thing, I never heard it called anything else until I moved south.
OP
OP
Mom made goulash, no cheese unless we had parmesan (yes, green can), school had Johnny Marzetti, it was the addition of cheddar cheese that captured my interest. There are several other dishes at school that I was enamored of.
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
I do, but people tend to judge you by the company you keep.
You're just following your gender's inclination to blame men for everything.
